Zinc silicate primers are extensively used throughout industry to coat ferrous metal structures and combat corrosion thereof by acting as a sacrificial anode. Examples of such primers typically include compositions formulated with a builder such as a polysiloxane or epoxy resin. When applied to the surface of for example steel to a typical thickness of 60 to 70 microns and allowed to cure they produce a ceramic coating which is hard, abrasion resistant and, in the absence of acid or base, does not otherwise chemically degrade. This makes them especially useful for coating the internal surfaces of tanks especially those used in marine applications where the possibility of physical damage and exposure to corrosive salt spray exists.
One drawback of such primed surfaces is that they are less smooth than the corresponding bare metal. This makes them somewhat difficult to clean which in turn can lead to problems, for example, on-board a ship where it is desired to change the transportation duty of a given cargo tank, for example from a heavy hydrocarbon to an alcohol such as methanol, because the cleaning cycle can be lengthy and require the entry of humans into a hazardous environment to ensure cleaning is complete.